Residents protest over failed food promise in Osun

Some residents of Ile Ife in Osun State has staged a peaceful protest over inability of a group to meet up with their promise.

The group had earlier announced its plans to distribute foods and other relief materials to the residents as part of their contribution to feeding the poor.

The protesters after a march through Lagere, Iremo and Sabo areas of the state, had stormed the premises of Crown FM, Eleyele, a private radio station based in Ile Ife, on which the public announcement of the food donation had been aired the previous day.

The General Manager, Crown FM, Ile Ife, Israel Ogunlade, said the protesters accused him of giving them false information about the plan by a group to distribute food items to cushion the effect of restriction of movement ordered by government to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Ogunlade told our correspondent that, “A group, had announced through my station that, it would distribute food to residents today.

“Unfortunately when those handling the distribution brought the food to where people had been told to assemble, they were overwhelmed by the numbers of the residents present. What they had could barely go round.”

“That was what led to the protest. They were shouting and everything was in the state of disorderliness before the police arrived.”

Meanwhile, Policemen deployed to the scene were said to have arrested some of the protesters and dispersed others.

While, Police Public Relations Officer for Osun Command, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed to THE DAILY VENDOR that some people fighting over food were dispersed by its operatives in Ile Ife.